Change
by Solaris13
Summary: Five years after the fall of Cocoon, everyone tries to move on with their lives. But how can Lightning help her sister's failing marriage, while dealing with her own relationship problems? Lightning/Hope/Noctis, Serah/Snow. Slightly Crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Wow, five years."

Lightning shook her head slowly, letting the words sink in. It'd been half a decade, but it still felt like yesterday. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the monstrous form of Ragnarok, the huge crystal spire forming beneath Cocoon, the bodies of Fang and Vanille slowly turning into crystal…

She opened her eyes. This was not something she enjoyed thinking about. It brought up emotions that she wasn't used to feeling, at least not on a regular basis.

Snow rubbed Serah on the shoulder. "Doesn't feel like five years, does it? Wouldn't believe it if it weren't coming up on the calendar."

Lightning sighed. Only Snow would write something like that on his calendar. She'd seen it herself, the last time she had been over to their apartment. "5 years!" As if it was someone's birthday or something. Leave it to him to turn it into a happy event.

"A lot has happened since then," Lightning said quietly, staring out at the horizon. "We've all changed so much."

"Do I hear Light getting deep all of a sudden?" Snow said, chuckling to himself. He bent down and whispered in Serah's ear, "Don't usually hear of her thinking too much. Usually it's just kick butt and take names."

Serah punched Snow in the chest playfully, to which he fell over and landed on the ground, pretending to gasp for air. Serah giggled. "She's not the only one who can kick your butt, you know!" While watching them, Lightning had to admit that somewhere deep inside of her, she liked them as a couple. Maybe it had taken over five years for her to realize it, and maybe she still couldn't stand their PDA in public, but it was getting better. It'd been about a full month since the last time she had knocked him out. Definitely progress.

"Snow!" A woman's voice floated from across the sandy beach. All three looked to find Lebreau standing in the doorway of her café, hands on her hips.

"Whoops, looks like my lunch break is over!" Snow said, smirking.

"You know, if you two weren't friends, you'd have been fired by now," Serah said, shaking her head and laughing. Lightning rolled her eyes. You must really be in love to think your husband slacking off his job was cute.

Snow shrugged before leaning down to kiss Serah on the cheek – he knew Lightning's opinion on them fully kissing in her vision. "Love you, babe. Oh, and see ya, Sis!" he added with a smirk, once he was safely halfway across the beach.

Lightning sighed. "How the hell you put up with him on a daily basis, I'll never know."

Serah laughed and put her arm around her sister's shoulder as they turned off the pier and started walking towards their car. "Thanks again for coming with me. I know we had a lunch date, but I really try to make an effort with him. You know, since we're having problems in… that area." She looked at Lightning quickly before turning away. Lightning guessed her eyes were watering – they always seemed to whenever the subject came up.

She patted her sister's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll get pregnant sooner or later. And Snow loves you way too much to leave you just because you two don't have a baby yet."

"I hope so, but I don't know sometimes," she said thoughtfully, looking at the ground. "He's always been so excited to start a family."

"You have lots of time. You're both still young. And you've only been married for a little over a year now." After they'd all come back from Gran Pulse, Snow and Serah put off their marriage plans in order to get their money and living situation settled. Lightning had badgered him to not marry her sister without being able to provide for her, and Snow was too proud to refuse. It might have not been her business, but she had to admit that it worked – Snow was now a personal trainer by day and bartender by night, as well as part-time on weekends. And true to his word, they set the date the same day he bought his apartment.

Serah looked on silently for a minute before throwing her hand in the air. "Enough about my relationship! It's time for you to spill the beans, Claire. What's going on with you and Noctis?"

Lightning blushed slightly and struggled to hide it from her sister. "Come on, Serah. We've been on a few dates. Hardly a relationship."

"Oh, you like him!" Serah chided, skipping ahead of Lightning and turning around to see her face clearly. "Look at you, you're blushing! Exactly how many dates is a few, hm? Oh… and has he stayed over yet?" She asked, eyes sparkling and laughing more than Lightning liked.

But instead of giving some smart retort like she normally would, Lightning gave in and let a smile escape. "He might have…" Serah let out an exclamation of excitement and wrapped her older sister in a ferocious hug.

"Oh Claire, I'm so happy for you!" Serah said ecstatically. "Before you know it, we'll be planning your wedding!" Lightning cringed at the thought, but realized that she didn't cringe quite so much as she might have a few years ago. She was going to be 26 in a few months… Maybe it was time to settle down?

But the thought was shaken out of her head before another minute passed. What, was she crazy? She knew she'd changed, but obviously a lot more than she had realized…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Serah made it her goal to be the perfect wife. Clothes washed and folded every weekend, cute furniture for their apartment, dinner on the table every night… She did all of these things as well as work full-time at a small floral store in downtown Bodhum. It was slightly stressful, making sure that all of this work was done, but she liked the feeling she got from being a good wife. And while she knew that a baby would just add more work and possible stress to her life, she welcomed it.

Yes, she and Snow had lain in bed late at night, talking about what their children would be named and what they would look like someday. They'd imagined all the activities they'd be involved in, and all the family trips they would go on.

And now that she couldn't give her husband the life they'd imagined, everything else she did seemed… insufficient.

Being that it was Saturday, Snow would be at Lebreau's café till around six, and Serah was determined to make it a special night.

After she had lunch with her sister, she went to the store and bought everything to make spaghetti and garlic bread – Snow's favorite meal. She bought candles and, on a whim, even lingerie. There was nothing special about tonight, but that was the best part. She imagined the surprised look on her husband's face as he walked in the door and smiled.

She had a good feeling about tonight.

* * *

><p>"Ugh," Snow sat down on a bar stool with a sigh.<p>

"Tough week?" Lebreau asked, running a rag across the countertop. Snow nodded. "Yeah, I feel ya. Not quite as easy as it used to be in the NORA days, is it?"

"More responsibilities," he agreed, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. When he opened them, there was a beer sitting in front of him on the counter.

"It's on me," Lebreau said, smirking. "I know how those tough weeks go."

Snow cracked it open and tipped it towards her in silent cheers before he downed half of it in one swig. Lately, he hadn't been much of a drinker. Serah never really said anything about it, but he just knew that it wasn't something he should be doing often now that he would soon have a kid on the way. Something about being married made him feel more mature.

Or as mature as it was possible for him to be.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned in surprise to find Gadot behind him, smiling. "Might need to give this big guy a few more before he'll feel anything!" his friend chuckled as he sat on the stool next to Snow.

"Very true," Lebreau laughed. "We all know at least a couple good drunken stories about old Snow here."

Snow smiled but waved his hand. "Come on, guys. Those days are behind me. I've got a wife and a home now. Seems a little immature, don't you think?"

"Oh, listen to Mr. Responsibility here!" Gadot exclaimed, joining Lebreau in laughing. "He talks as if he's a middle aged man, not a 26 year old."

"Come on. Gotta live a little, Snow," Lebreau said, sliding another beer his way.

He eyed it warily. "Look, I'm sure Serah is waiting on me…"

"It's just one more beer, man," Gadot said, looking at Snow incredulously. "Is that really such a crime? Next thing you know, she'll be asking you to watch bingo on TV every night."

"It's not like that," Snow said, feeling the heat start to rise in his cheeks. But before he could say anything more, his phone began to vibrate violently in his pocket. He took a few steps away from Gadot and Lebreau and flipped it open. "Ah, my favorite sis. What's up?"

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked quizzically. Snow shook his head and smiled wryly. This woman could detect tension from a hundred miles away.

"It's nothing," he replied. "Just another tiring day at work. You know how it is."

"I see," Lightning said. "Well, I was calling because I thought we should have a sort of reunion. You know, since the five year anniversary is coming up."

Snow's eyes widened. "Like a party? Is this really Claire Farron I'm talking to?"

"Funny," Lightning said, obviously irked by Snow's use of her real name. This always delighted him. "And yes, I'm serious. It'd be nice to catch up with everyone. No one has seen Hope in forever. Plus, Serah needs something like this. You know she's stressed."

Snow sighed. Of course, he could tell she was stressed. It wasn't hard to tell, since normally she was carefree and lighthearted, enough to brighten even the worst day. But lately, she'd been different. He knew the reason, but not how to fix it. Mostly he just tried to give her space to deal with it, because he felt like he made it worse by being there. As if his presence constantly reminded her of his inability to give her a family.

"You're right," he agreed. "She does need something. It's a plan then. I'll get Lebreau to cater. You can set everything else up, of course."

"Of course," Lightning said, her tone implying the thought _"lazy"._ Snow chuckled.

"See ya, Sis." CLICK.

Snow stared at his phone screen thoughtfully, even after it went dark. The only thing in the world he wanted to do was help his wife, but how? Snow had never been very good in dealing with relationship issues, even when he could fix them. So now what did he do with this?

He walked slowly back to the bar stall, where Gadot was busy flicking a piece of folded paper at Lebreau's turned back. "Hey, man," Snow said, quietly. "When your wife has a problem that you can't fix, what should you do?"

Gadot looked thoughtfully for a moment at his paper. "Give her space," he concluded, then handed Snow the second unopened beer. Snow chuckled and popped it open. His friends were right. His problem was that he was smothering the one important person in his life. And that was something he did not want to do.

He pulled his phone back out and sent a text message to Serah's phone. "Staying out late with the guys. Relax at home. Love you :)"

"So you're staying?" Lebreau asked as he looked up. He nodded, and she said with a smile, "Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lightning was not one for relationships. She never had been. In middle school, a boy had asked her to go out with him in a note. She had walked up to him, thrown the note on the ground, and punched him in the stomach. And that was because she had liked him.

Of course, a lot had changed since middle school. But the one thing that hadn't? Her lack of a boyfriend. Lightning had never actually had a "boyfriend," at least officially. She'd been on plenty of dates in her almost 26 years, a few of which even turned into something more. But they never lasted even a month. Finally Lightning realized that there was nothing more threatening to a man's ego than a woman soldier who could probably kick his butt. But she was more content to be alone than to change who she was.

But Noctis, he was different. Being a soldier himself, he wasn't threatened by her, which Lightning had to admit she found attractive. And there was something about his eyes…

The first time they'd met was years ago, only a few months after Cocoon had fallen. The Guardian Corps was preparing to make its way to Gran Pulse, and Lightning was in charge of the training, since she was the only person who had been there before.

It had been during a routine sparring match, which pitted Lightning against all the recruits. She had never lost once, not in the hundreds of matches she'd been in, and as she watched the smaller, lean-muscled man walk into the ring, she could tell it'd be business as usual.

"Okay, recruit," she'd called across the ring. "When you're ready to begin, raise your hand in the air so I can see it."

"Well hold on a second," he'd replied casually. "I don't even get to know your name before I beat you in front of all these recruits?" A chorus of muffled laughter rang out along the edges of the ring, where a couple hundred young recruits were standing around to watch the fight. "You're Lieutenant…?"

"It's Lightning," she'd snapped. She didn't have time for his immature talking which was obviously meant as a way to get attention. But she wasn't allowed to start until he raised his hand. So she resorted to staring at him with a slight snarl.

"Lieutenant Lightning," he said, chuckling. "Well, not the name I would've chosen…" His laughing had obviously disturbed his perfectly styled hair (a little unnecessary, in Lightning's opinion), because he suddenly raised his hand to run it through the dark mass.

_Good enough for me,_ Lightning thought, and she began her normal sprint when in pursuit of a target. Possibly slightly more aggressive, as he had really started to get on her last nerve. But he wasn't taken by surprise, like she'd hoped. He caught her mid-flip, twisted her arm behind her back, and shoved her to the ground. There was a collective gasp from the other recruits, and Lightning felt her face flush.

Finally he let her go, and as he extended his hand to help her up, he said smoothly, "It's Noctis." Lightning scoffed at him, but her smart comeback was nowhere to be found. As soon as her eyes had met his, she'd melted. So dark, they were like black holes, and she definitely felt herself being sucked in.

She'd let him help her up, but hurriedly left before he could say another word. Black holes? That was what she'd thought of? Lightning was a lot of things, but _mushy_ was not one of them.

But later, when he asked her out for a drink, those eyes wouldn't let her refuse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Hello?"

Lightning was shocked at the difference Hope's voice had taken in just the few years since they'd last spoken. It was deeper, more refined. It sounded almost like his father's, but still had that boyish tint that she remembered.

"Helllllooo?"

"Hope? It's Lightning."

"Light?" He asked, more excitement in his voice than she felt she deserved. "How have you been? It's been so long!"

"Yeah, a couple years at least," she said, and suddenly she felt sad. They'd come out of the mess five years ago as close friends. But a few years ago, his father had passed away from a heart attack, and ever since then, Hope never seemed to want to talk. She figured he was depressed, but being how she was, she didn't exactly know what to say. "Well, I've been good, Hope. What about you?"

"Better, I guess," he replied. "It's been a little tough with Dad gone, but it's alright now. You know what I mean," he added. And she did. That was the great thing about the two of them – neither had to say much, but the other always understood.

"I'm happy for you," she answered sincerely. "The reason I'm calling is because we're having a sort of… reunion, I guess."

"A reunion?" he asked. She could tell the idea sounded as absurd as she thought it did.

"According to Snow, our fifth anniversary of not dying is coming up, and we thought it'd be a good idea to celebrate. For old time's sake." She didn't feel the need to add the reason of Serah's situation. Hope would understand, but Lightning knew Serah wouldn't want her business being spread.

"Snow _would_ do something like that," Hope said, mirroring Lightning's exact thoughts. They both laughed. "Well, count me in. Do we know the date yet?"

"Not exactly, but we're working on it," Lightning replied. "Apparently the actual anniversary is in two weeks, so probably around then."

"Hm. Well maybe I'll come up early, just for the hell of it. There's nothing in Palumpolum anyways."

Lightning flinched at his use of the word "hell" – Hope might technically be an adult now, but it would take a little longer for Lightning to see him that way.

Suddenly, there was a scrambled knock on Lightning's door. "Claire? Are you home?" Serah's muffled voice came through the doorway. "I need to talk to you."

"Hope, I'm really sorry, but I have to go," Lightning said, sighing. "It was nice talking to you. I'm sorry it was so short, but you definitely should come up early. Everyone would love to see you."

"It's okay Light," he answered. "We'll have time to catch up. And sounds great. See ya soon."

"Oh! And Hope?"

"Yes?"

"Don't mention this to Serah. It's sorta a surprise for her."

Hope chuckled. "Deal." CLICK.

Lightning threw the phone on the counter and rushed to the door, where Serah's frantic knocking continued. A feeling of fear and protectiveness came over her, something that always happened when Serah seemed upset. She flung open the door to find her younger sister there with watering eyes.

"Serah!" Lightning exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"L-last night, I made him his favorite dinner, got all dressed up, and everything, waited an h-hour for him, then I get this text about 'going out with the guys.' And he doesn't come home till t-three in the morning! He never does this, Claire! _Never_."

Lightning said softly, "Come on, let's get you inside." She put her arm on her sister's back, who didn't seem to notice the touch that was meant to be comforting. Serah flopped down onto Lightning's couch and sobbed into her hands.

"I know I must be overreacting," she said, between sobs. "But I know that I'm losing him, Claire, I know it. This is how it starts – first a few skipped meals, a few more nights out with friends, then bam! I'll come home to the apartment being locked and all my clothes on the ground."

"Serah, Serah," Lightning said, shaking her head. "Think about what you're saying. This is _Snow_ we're talking about, the same man who travelled across planets for you and risked his own life in the process."

Serah nodded and sighed. "I know that, I do. But… can you blame me for being scared? I don't want to fall into that lull that married couples do. I just don't want to lose the perfect thing we have."

"Trust me, that won't happen," Lightning said assuredly. If anyone in the world was a hopeless romantic, it was Snow. Even though it sickened her sometimes, she had secretly felt that she wouldn't mind if a guy risked his life for hers. What woman would?

"Maybe it wouldn't, but now that we're having other problems…" Serah looked at the wall awkwardly. "Well, you know what I mean. It's just putting pressure on both of us, and I don't want it to ruin things. Even more than it has already, anyways…"

"Come here," Lightning said. Serah reluctantly stood up and walked to her sister's outstretched arms. "I know it's hard, but don't give up. Everything will work out in the end. Keep up that upbeat attitude that you never seem to lose. Your husband married you for a reason, you know."

Serah laughed slightly and squeezed her sister. "Thanks, Claire. Do you mind if I hang around for a little? I just need some company. Snow and I got into it a bit and I just don't want to face him."

Lightning nodded and Serah turned back to the couch. As the older sister went to the kitchen to whip up some (hopefully) appetizing food for younger, she couldn't help feeling anxious. She knew that the relationship Serah and Snow had could withstand anything. Hell, it had withstood her turning into a rock and him nearly dying to save her! But for some reason she couldn't understand, she had to keep reminding herself not to be worried. Was it her normal sisterly instincts? Or something else?

Peering around the corner at her sister, who was busy watching TV, Lightning whispered, "Please don't get hurt."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As soon as Serah felt that she couldn't avoid her husband any longer, the two sisters hugged goodbye, and finally the youngest got in her car and drove away. Lightning couldn't help but feel those same protective feelings she'd had earlier as she watched Serah pull out of the driveway. Feeling the need to vent, she called Noctis and invited him over to her place.

"Hello, stranger," he said with a smirk when he'd finally arrived. Lightning walked out and greeted him with a kiss.

"Thanks for coming over," she said, leading him into the house. "I'm still worried for Serah."

Noctis sat down in a chair and frowned at her. "Is she okay?"

"Well, when she left, she told me she felt better about everything," Lightning said, pulling chicken out of the oven. "But I'm not sure. She seemed so upset when she came over. I never know what to do when she comes to me like that."

"Well, Light," he started, and then sighed. "You can't protect her forever."

"I know that, Noctis," Lightning snapped. He blinked in surprise and she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I just hate thinking about her growing up. It nearly tore me apart when she got married. I knew it'd happen someday, but I guess I was in denial. When it actually happened, I didn't know what to do with myself." She thought back to when she'd stood next to them, maid of honor, and watched as they'd kissed. And she hadn't been able to stop the feeling that Serah was kissing her happiness goodbye.

"Well, I think you just have to accept that she's an adult now. She's dealing with adult issues and she has to deal with them like an adult."

Lightning frowned. "It doesn't mean I can't help her though. Or at least try." She set a plate of chicken and rice down on the table in front of him. Something slightly bothered her about the picture of her making him a sit-down meal, but she kept it to herself.

Noctis chuckled at the plate. "Think the chicken is a little burnt at all?" he asked teasingly.

Lightning raised an eyebrow but ignored the comment. "The only issue they really even have is the lack of a baby. Her anger about last night was actually from that."

"Oh, are we still talking about this?" Noctis asked, shaking his head. "Look, you can't change the fact that they can't have kids. Hell, maybe it's a good thing. Who needs a bunch of little Snow's running around, am I right?"

Lightning shook her head but chose to say nothing. Lately Noctis had been too open for her taste – he gave her his opinions when they weren't welcomed, and he pried his way too far into her personal business. But she _had _been the one to invite him. So she kept her mouth shut.

They ate dinner and talked about other things, and soon Lightning was in good spirits again. She usually wasn't much of a drinker, but Noctis convinced her to break out a bottle of red wine, and she poured each of them a glass.

"Cheers," Noctis said, holding up his glass.

"To what?"

He thought for a moment and then smiled. "To one month. Our first date was one month ago to the day."

He laughed, and Lightning slightly reluctantly held hers up as well. She hadn't even realized that they'd been counting the days. She didn't even know how many dates they'd been on.

"You know," Noctis said, with a sly smile. "There's actually another reason I came here tonight. I have a favor to ask of you. My parents are actually in town for some business, small stuff of course. But I told them I'd go to dinner with them this Saturday, and that I was bringing someone special."

There was a small pause. "So?" Lightning prodded.

"So… will you go with me? I really want them to meet you."

Lightning sighed and sat down her glass. "Noctis, I'm not sure we're on the same page here. What exactly are we?"

He frowned. "I think it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I mean, we've been dating for a while…"

"But not officially," Lightning said, stating the fact rather than asking.

"Well," Noctis said, smiling and pulling her close, "we can change that, you know."

"No," she said, pushing him away slightly. "That's not what I meant. I'm happy with the way things are. Why change them?"

Noctis set his glass down on the table beside hers and looked at her angrily. "We're getting more serious in our relationship. It's normal, Lightning."

"But you don't get it. I don't want to get more serious. A serious relationship is exactly what I want to avoid. I thought maybe we could become that, but now I realize it's not for me. I'm not the type of person who 'settles down.' I thought you'd know this."

"Then what the hell are we doing?" Noctis asked, obviously furious. "I'm not going to waste my time on a relationship that means nothing and is going nowhere."

"Just because I don't want to meet your parents means that you're wasting your time on me?"

"It's not just that, but yeah," Noctis answered. "I mean that's a step. But you're obviously not willing to take any more steps. I thought we were going in the right direction but this relationship is not what I thought it was."

"So what are you saying then?" Lightning demanded

"Well, let's just say, call me when you grow up." He grabbed his keys and stalked out of the room furiously, leaving Lightning standing alone in the kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lightning spent the rest of her evening alone, eating burnt chicken and rice while watching TV, though nothing that she watched really sank in. She hadn't expected the night to go this way. But who had she been kidding? A serious relationship? A few days before, she had thought it possible. But now she was wondering how she could have been so stupid.

This was obviously not how Lightning worked. Since when did Noctis come over, just expecting dinner to be made? What was this business of sleeping over almost every night? These were foreign concepts to her. She'd fallen into the trap of the "serious relationship" but luckily had enough sense to get out before it was too late. One month anniversaries? Were they both in middle school? And meeting his parents? Please. She'd sooner spend a month alone with Snow. And _that _was torture.

It took Lightning a good hour to realize that she was being pathetic. An idea struck her, and she called up Serah to ask her to go out for some drinks, something Lightning barely ever did. She wasn't the type to get irresponsibly drunk, because if there was one thing Lightning didn't like, it was not being in control of herself.

She called her sister twice, both times ending in the familiar voicemail – "Hey, this is Serah! I'm busy right now, so leave me a message!" Resolved not to spend the night alone on her couch, Lightning bucked up and got ready anyways. Better to be alone and drunk than just plain alone.

She rummaged through her closet for clothes, stopping on a black dress that her sister had gotten her for last year's birthday. _"Something special that will make you feel special. :)" _The card was even still attached by ribbon. No, tonight was not the night to break that out. Something told her that she'd never actually wear this thing. All she ever did was pull it out, stare, and shove it back in.

Settling on casual shorts and a black shirt, Lightning made her way to her car and down the driveway. Whether she had a good time or not, she figured the only way tonight could go was up.

* * *

><p>Lebreau was not the type of woman who liked to be alone. She'd had a few boyfriends over the years, even dappled in a little after-work action with Gadot, but nothing very serious. For a while, she prided herself on her ability to keep the men guessing, and wanting more than she ever allowed them to have. Sooner or later, they'd start to get a little too clingy, and she'd always drop them.<p>

But now, as a woman in her mid-twenties, she was starting to realize there was more to life than just keeping men wrapped around her finger. Sure, it was nice to have some boy toy to play with once in a while, but she was starting to want something... more. And even though she'd never admit it, she was starting to get a little lonely.

Wiping down the bar counter, she paused and looked around at the room filled with people. All she did was spend every night at her bar, serving drinks to either desperate or alcoholic men. And if there were slim pickings out of her patronage, there were even less in her group of friends. These men had sexy bodies, she'd admit, but she'd known them for far too long to think of them as potential lovers. Kissing them would be like kissing her brother! And more, well... she couldn't even think of that.

But as her eyes scanned the room, she caught the eyes of one familiar blonde-haired man in the crowd, and her heart fluttered a little before she forced herself to turn away.

What was it about him that got her to feel like this? She hadn't felt "butterflies" in years, but here they were. She grabbed some clean glasses and pretended to stack them, casting a sly glance in his direction. Was it his perfect muscles that got her, or that gorgeous smile that he so often threw her way? Or perhaps it was the way that he remained mysterious, even under that cute personality...

Okay, so she liked Snow a little. But who wouldn't? He had everything a woman could want, and he was a well-known hero for what he did a few years ago. That was when she first realized that she felt something for Snow. So she'd tried out her cat-and-mouse game that she always played with men, but instead of playing along, Snow acted indifferent. And that just made Lebreau want him more.

She spent the evening serving as usual, avoiding him whenever possible so she didn't have to feel those weird chills again. But sooner or later, she knew his drink would be empty, and he'd have to come up for another. When this moment finally came, she put on her flirty smile and watched him as he approached the bar.

"Hey, Snow," she said casually. "Need another?"

"Just a beer, please," he said, setting his empty glass on the counter and smiling. Oh, that smile. She turned away quickly and went to grab the brand she knew was his favorite. "You know, you should take a break," he added, behind her. "I can fill in for you if you want. It is your birthday, after all."

Lebreau smiled triumphantly. "You remembered?" she asked, turning around and handing him the beer. "How sweet! But no, I'm okay. Gadot should be taking over in about a half hour. If he's not too drunk, that is. Would you do me a favor though, and do a couple birthday shots with me?"

Snow chuckled and agreed, so Lebreau poured out the shots and they took them together. As the alcohol haze started to fall over her eyes, she felt her courage increasing a little. A plan for tonight was slowly forming in her mind, something she'd been wanting to do for a long time now.

Just as these thoughts were running through her mind, she caught sight of a pinkish mess of hair making its way through the crowd. Damn, of all the nights for Serah's sister to show up, it had to be tonight? These sisters would be the death of her. Not only had that midget of a girl married the man Lebreau should be with, but her sister would surely kick her ass at the first opportunity.

"Hi, Lightning," Lebreau said as the soldier sat down at the bar, faking cheeriness. "What can I get you?"

"Surprise me," Lightning replied, and Lebreau could sense a feeling of somberness.

"So something strong then?" she asked, and both of them laughed. She served Lightning her drink, but avoided her as much as possible for the next twenty minutes, until the clock hit 12 am and Gadot arrived to relieve her of her shift.

She grabbed her coat and started walking to the door when she saw Snow doing the same. Those unfamiliar chills came again, and prompted by the shots in her system, she called to Snow and said, "There's some big guys in the corner who have been giving me looks all night. Would you mind walking me home?"

"Of course," Snow said, slurring his words a little. He was still such a nice guy, even being drunk. Lebreau knew Serah would give him hell for being late, but maybe this would be the breaking point this marriage needed. It was on the rocks anyways, it was only a matter of time before they called it quits.

Snow opened the door to let Lebreau out. As she stepped out of the bar, she took one last look in Lightning's direction and saw that the soldier was watching them with a frown on her face. Lebreau was scared of Lightning, but whether it was the alcohol or the smell of Snow as he walked close to her, she didn't know. But either way, she was determined that her plan for tonight would come through.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A sharp rattle of the train bumped Hope out of his light sleep. Bodhum was slowly coming into the view of his window, and a woman on the speaker announced that they'd be arriving in only five minutes. A small spasm of excitement – or was it nervousness? – went through him.

It'd been such a long time since he'd seen any of his fellow former l'Cie. That was something he'd always regretted. It'd started when his father had died, and he'd felt the need to keep his feelings inside. Obviously he knew that it was normal to feel sad about the death of a father, but the loss of his last living family member not only hurt him but also made him feel weak. Vulnerable. Those were two things he never wanted to feel again, not since he'd returned from Pulse, and he definitely didn't want to appear that way in front of certain people...

Plus, he had to admit that he'd changed a lot. All of them had. The last time he'd talked to Sazh, he and Dajh were exploring Pulse on one of those armed missions led by the new PSICOM. Apparently Sazh wanted to show his son "the awesome Gran Pulse," but Hope had a feeling he just wanted Dajh to be impressed that his dad had beaten all of those monsters. He'd be surprised to see both of them at this little reunion. Serah and Snow were as happy as ever as far as Hope could tell, but both of them had grown up a lot. He didn't need to talk to them to tell that. The last person he'd ever imagined to hold down an actual job was Snow.

And Lightning, well... he wasn't too sure he even knew her anymore.

As for himself, he'd done his best to shed that timid little teenager image. He'd focused on bulking up as well as going to college. He'd forced himself to be outgoing, and over the years he'd had himself quite a few girlfriends, and even a few one night stands as the result of heavy college partying. He wasn't too proud of those, but he figured it all had to be a part of growing up.

The trained slowed to a stop in front of the Bodhum station, and Hope stood up and retrieved his bags from the storage compartment. As excited as he had been at the start of the trip, he couldn't push down the unease that he was now feeling. What was it that made him so nervous? He didn't want to answer the question honestly to himself.

Walking out of the station, he spotted Snow leaning against the front end of his car. Hope smiled but then frowned, asking, "Why are you here?"

Snow punched him playfully, which of course hurt a lot. Hope resisted the urge to rub his arm. "Don't sound too excited to see me!" He answered sarcastically, laughing.

"Sorry," Hope replied, smiling a little. "I am happy to see you. I just figured Lightning would be the one to pick me up. At least, that's what she told me."

"Aw, same here," Snow said mockingly, but Hope detected a sense of seriousness. Snow had always been a big sap. He evaded the slight awkwardness by opening his door and getting in. "And Lightning was going to be here, but she was late getting off of work, and she called me last minute. She didn't want you to have to wait on anyone."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah," Snow said, thoughtfully. "Well there's that, and..."

Hope waited a few seconds while Snow stared at the road thoughtfully. "And what?"

Snow frowned and shook his head. "She just told me she wanted to talk to me." Then his face brightened. "No big deal, right?"

Hope nodded, but truthfully he was really confused as to what Snow was talking about. But it seemed too soon to press the subject, especially when Snow was acting so weird about it. The guy had barely ever been worried in his life, but here was definitely worry on his face.

They rode a little in silence, but since Snow seemed to be deep in thought, it wasn't too awkward. Suddenly, Snow looked at him slyly and said, "So, how excited are you really?"

"What do you mean?" Hope asked, frowning.

Snow laughed. "Come on. You get to live with the woman! You can't tell me you're not looking forward to it."

Hope sighed. "Look, we're just friends. We've been through so much..."

"Riiiiight," Snow answered, knowingly. "Because going through hard times doesn't bring people together or anything. Plus, you never fooled anyone all those years ago. We all knew how you felt about her."

Hope looked out of the window. "That was so long ago, Snow. It's just not like that anymore."

"Okay, okay," Snow said, taking the hint and dropping it. Hope knew that Snow was just teasing him for old time's sake, but something about it irked him more than usual. Maybe it was the fact that he'd spent so much time changing himself, only to come here and be seen as that same weak little boy in their eyes. That was the _last_ thing in the world he wanted.

It seemed to take no time at all making it to Lightning's house. Hope had never seen it before. It was bigger than he'd imagined, and he was actually happy that he would be staying there so that a little bit of the wasted space would be taken up. It was too big just for one person, and he found himself wondering how often she had company over...

_No,_ he thought._ No thoughts like those._ It was two weeks. What was he really expecting?

But when he walked up to the door and knocked, Lightning's face appeared, as fierce and vibrant as ever. She pulled him into an incredibly tight hug, filling him with the scent of light flowers, a nice surprise. And he thought to himself that these two weeks might be a little harder than he thought.

* * *

><p>Lightning was more excited to see Hope than she'd realized. There was something comforting about his presence, like she felt whole again. She hated describing it in such cliché terms, but she had to admit that it was true. After spending so much time together alone those years ago, she'd felt like his protector, someone he could count on. And he was that to her as well.<p>

But his arrival was also just a little unnerving. How much could one person change? Hope was no longer the little teenager she'd known before. This was a man, and a buff one at that! His hair was shorter but still a little shaggy, a nice sign that he still had a little of his youthful side. But what really got to her was his slight speckling of a beard, just visible on his chin. This above anything was a sign that too much had changed.

Lightning held their hug a little long, giving a slight squeeze before she let go. So, she'd missed the kid. She hoped it was mutual, and from the huge smile on his face, she figured it was. And she was holding on to anything happy that would keep her thoughts off the man standing to the right, just far enough away to be out of her direct vision. Hm, seemed almost on purpose...

"Come on, I'll show you the room," Lightning said, turning into the house and purposely changing her thoughts. She led the way to hers and Serah's old room, which was on the smaller side but still comfortable.

"Hm, pink," Hope said, slightly chuckling. "Not my usual taste."

Lightning eyed the bright pink walls. It had obviously not been Lightning's choice when her parents had painted her childhood room. "Well, there's always the couch..." she said, smirking a little.

"Nope, this is great!" Hope said quickly, dumping his bags on the bed. There was a surprising amount of them and Lightning wondered what in the world he could've packed for two weeks. But she chose not to comment.

"Well, it'll keep any girls out who want to stay over, so that's a bonus," Lightning said, making a light joke. But when Hope answered seriously that this was true, her smile instantly dropped. Hope... having sex? No matter how old he got, this was way too much for her to imagine.

"So, anyways," Lightning said quickly, walking to the kitchen. "I'll make dinner whenever I'm home, but that's not often, and I'm not much of a cook, so..."

"I'll have to fend for myself," Hope finished, chuckling. "Can't say I'm not used to it. I've had some practice over the years." Lightning instantly regretted where this conversation had gone when she remembered about Hope's dad. His thoughts were obviously on the same thing, because his face dropped a little and he looked at the floor.

"What's going on with Snow?" Hope said suddenly, apparently trying to switch the subject. "He hasn't stepped foot in here yet, and he definitely didn't seem to be in a hurry to make it here. Are you guys fighting or something?"

Lightning scowled. Snow. Somehow she'd managed to forget about him, but now Hope had brought it back with full force. What had she seen a couple nights ago? She'd hoped it wasn't what she'd thought, but what else could it be? Snow had left a bar with another woman, and an incredibly slutty one at that. Could it have been possible he was just walking her home? Maybe. But that's what she was going to find out.

"Hope, I know you just got here," Lightning said quietly. "But would you mind leaving Snow and I alone? I have to talk to him about something very important."

"Sure," Hope said slowly, smart enough to catch the vibe Lightning was giving off. "I'll just go for a walk around town or something. I'll, um, send him in." He grabbed a jacket and walked outside, telling the miserable looking man that he was wanted inside. He couldn't help but think that he was sending Snow to his death.

He chuckled.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lightning liked to think of herself as a logical woman. She went by the facts, not emotions. Her sister always said that was part of her training as a soldier, but Lightning knew that was who she was from day one. And she figured that was part of the reason why she and Serah got along so well – Lightning was the logic; Serah was the heart. And as much as Lightning didn't like to admit it, she respected her sister for her warm feelings and her natural tendency to give people the benefit of the doubt. It was something Lightning couldn't do in a million years.

But damn, did her sister pick idiots!

Lightning stood leaning against her kitchen counter as she watched the burly man make his slow way in. She eyed him warily, and from the first moment she could just feel he was guilty. It was like "Kick my ass" was written right across his forehead, and Lightning was more than happy to oblige.

"Before you say anything," she said slowly, keeping her composure calm,"I want you to think about why I've asked to talk to you. And if you want to lie, you know what I'll –"

"I'm not going to waste my time lying to you," Snow said somberly. "I'll admit that I did it."

Lightning's mouth dropped before she could check herself. Well, this wasn't expected. Not only did she never expect Snow to cheat on her sister, but she highly doubted he would come forward so quickly. Especially to her.

Finally, she felt the anger. "What the HELL, Snow? How could you do this to Serah? You're supposed to love her, and put her above yourself! But obviously you can't think of her enough to keep it in your pants."

Snow winced. "What are you talking about, Lightning?" he asked in confusion, before frowning in anger himself. "Please tell me you don't seriously think I would cheat on Serah. I knew you thought low of me. But I didn't know how much."

Lightning hesitated. "Then... what are you admitting to?" Her voice was still angry, but she couldn't hide the confusion in it.

"I knew you saw me leave with Lebreau. I won't pretend that I don't know Serah hates her. I do. But she asked me to walk her home because some guy was following her. What was I supposed to do, leave her on her own? She'd have to walk alone and I wouldn't have been able to let her do that with a clear conscience."

Lightning realized this was true, but something was still rubbing her the wrong way. There was just something about the look in his eyes that made her feel that he was undeniably guilty. "Well... you were acting pretty shady about it."

"I understand now how bad it looks," Snow replied, looking at the floor. "But please, believe me. I knew Serah would be mad about me spending time with Lebreau alone, especially drunk. But I would hope the both of you would know me well enough..." He paused, then frowned even deeper. For some reason, Lightning felt a twinge of guilt – maybe her opinion of Snow did actually get to him. "Does Serah think I cheated too?" He asked sadly.

"No," Lightning said quickly. If all of this ended up really not being true, she wanted to do as little damage to their relationship as possible. "I didn't tell her about this. And trust me, it wasn't for your benefit that I kept quiet. I'm not going to see her hurt over a misunderstanding. If, of course, that's all it is."

"Of course that's all it is," Snow scoffed. "You've seen what I would do for Serah. You really think I would do _this_ to her?"

Lightning stared at him long enough until he squirmed under her gaze. Everything he was saying was true – he had gone across two worlds for this girl - and also completely possible. But what was it that kept her from believing him? Lightning liked to think of herself as realistic. But sometimes she just downright thought the worst of people. And even though she liked to think of herself as fair, had she ever really given Snow a fair chance? Probably not.

She sighed. "I hope you're telling the truth, Snow. For my sister's sake."

Her softening tone seemed to cheer him up. "I am, Lightning. I love her. You know that." Lightning closed her eyes and nodded. "I hope you don't think I'm running out on you," he continued, "but I'm actually supposed to meet her soon. Do you mind...?"

"No," she replied. "But just so you know exactly what will happen if you're lying to me..."

"Always the optimist," Snow interrupted, shaking his head and chuckling. "See ya." He hurried out of the door, a little faster than usual. Lightning couldn't help but thinking his excuse was fake – didn't Serah have something to do tonight...? But instead of brewing on it like always, she thought maybe, just once, she'd give her brother-in-law the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

><p>Hope walked through the Bodhum streets thoughtfully. It was a rather small town, easily walked on foot in a couple hours. He wasn't entirely sure if he liked this place, since despite the cozy beach always in view, it always unnerved him. His last memories here were with his mother, and those were never something he enjoyed reliving. She hadn't exactly been the happiest he'd seen her when they'd been here, most likely from his father. He wouldn't doubt it. But here he stopped himself. Thinking about his parents always brought bad feelings, and occasionally some tears...<p>

He shook his head, forcing the thoughts out. This wasn't who he was anymore. Hope was not the type to cry, because nothing good ever came out of it. It didn't bring back those who've passed away or magically fix any situation you were in. If anything, it made everything worse. He learned that the hard way a few years ago, from Lightning no less...

Having suddenly been brought out of his thoughts, he found himself walking towards the pier in front of Lebreau's café. The ocean here was beautiful. If he didn't have all these memories here, he'd almost want to live here. Maybe permanently.

If he was really honest with himself, who did he really care about in Palumpolum? But he did care about some of the people here. And he wouldn't mind spending awhile with them...

In the corner of his eye, he watched as Snow made his way into Lebreau's, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder. Hope frowned, then laughed at Snow's strange actions. Snow, nervous? That was a joke. It was probably the last thing he expected to see in his entire life! Hope followed him into the building, still chuckling, realizing he'd been right about the conversation with Lightning being a bad one. You could always count on those from her.

The café was extremely full for the time of day. He spotted Lebreau hustling around the room, taking orders and delivering drinks, while wiping sweat off her forehead. This was a woman Hope always considered to be beautiful in an exotic, different way, but he had to admit that something had changed. She seemed to have gained a few, and looked extremely tired and stressed. And there was something about the way she moved that seemed less graceful, even though she tried to hide it.

But as soon as she noticed Snow sitting at the bar, a change came over her. A sly smile crept over her face as she pulled off her waitressing apron and settled down onto a stool next to him. Hope started to walk over to join them, watching as Lebreau took her hand and rubbed it from Snow's shoulders down to his lower stomach. Hope stopped dead, and a feeling that he was witnessing something intensely wrong came over him. Snow grabbed her hand tightly and then flung it away, and a look of anger flitted over Lebreau's face before she smoothed it over with that same smile.

Something told Hope that he should stay and watch, but instead, he ran. Whatever was happening in the café, he didn't want to see. If he didn't see, he didn't know, and therefore he wasn't responsible... Right?

Hope shook his head over and over, trying to figure out what in the hell had been going through Snow's mind. "What about Serah?" he asked himself out loud. This man had travelled hundreds of miles and fought monsters – monsters! – for this woman. It seemed impossible that Snow would even _think _about someone else.

Struggling to push it out of his mind, he made his way back to Lightning's house. He'd finally managed to convince himself, at least partly, that what he'd seen had been innocent. He rationalized it with the fact that he hadn't stayed to watch what unfolded, and he was sure that it was all an inside joke that he just hadn't understood.

Hope was very good at convincing himself.

When he reached Lightning's house, he knocked once and then entered, unsure of whether he even had to knock at all. He and Lightning were close, but she was a stickler about some things, that was for sure.

"Light?" he called out, repeating her name a few times when there was no answer.

"In my bedroom," she answered quietly.

A spasm of something hit Hope when he reached Lightning's room, as if it were something taboo. But, feeling like an idiot, he ignored the feeling. _So what?_ He thought to himself. _It's just Lightning's room... Where she sleeps... naked?_

He winced. That train of thought was not allowed. "Hey," he said quickly. "What's going on?"

Lightning was sitting on her bed, staring out of the window thoughtfully. "Nothing... I just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"That doesn't sound good," Hope said, cautiously stepping into Lightning's room. He couldn't shake that thought from before and it was making him slightly uncomfortable. "Hey, want to go out for lunch? My treat."

Lightning sighed. "I'm not sure, Hope. There's really a lot going on..."

"And you can tell me all about it at lunch," Hope said, smirking, and even Lightning gave in and smiled. He turned serious. "It'll get your mind off it, at least."

"Why do I feel like this was a trick?" Lightning asked, laughing. But she was standing up, which Hope assumed was a good sign.

"So... we're going?"

Lightning smiled. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

><p><em>Hey everyone, my apologies for the long delay in an update! I've been so busy lately, but now that soccer season is over, I'll have lots more time to update. Expect a really long story, because that's what I have planned! Thanks for all the reviews and subscriptions, they are much appreciated. Thanks and enjoy the story :)<em>


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Serah made dinner and did the dishes as usual, but inside, she felt like her heart was breaking.

Was there a possibility she was overreacting? It was likely. She overreacted about everything. But she couldn't shake the feeling that her marriage was falling apart right in front of her eyes.

The worst of it was that she couldn't even change the problem. If she could have a baby, she would. Secretly she suspected it had something to do with being a crystal before, since she technically hadn't been dead or alive. Or maybe it was that she'd been a l'Cie at all. Would that curse ever stop haunting her?

Serah dropped the dish she'd been loading into the dishwasher and sank down to the floor, sobbing. How did things come to this? All she'd wanted after that entire mess was a normal life. But "normal" was probably something impossible for her. She cupped her eyes with her palms as her entire body shook with the sobs. She felt weak and stupid, but most of all, she just felt helpless.

Suddenly, she felt a hand touch her shoulder softly. Flinching, she looked up quickly and found her husband standing over her with a concerned look on his face. "Serah?" he asked quietly. "Baby, get off the floor and get into these arms."

Serah smiled, partly because of what he'd said, but mostly out of embarrassment. She couldn't believe he'd caught her crying her eyes out like a baby. But as she stood up and did as he said, wrapping her arms around his thick, muscular torso, she realized that this was just what she needed.

"Tell me what's going on," Snow said gently, his voice muffled by her hair.

"You really have to ask?" Serah said, chuckling sadly. Both were silent for a moment as they thought about this separately, and feeling the danger of new tears developing, Serah started talking. "It's so hard, you know, the whole baby thing... I'm trying so hard but I just feel empty. I don't feel good enough. And I hate it because you've done so much for me and I can't even give you a family."

Everything had come out in such a rush that when she finished, it seemed awkwardly silent between them. After a second, Serah looked up at Snow, and to her disbelief he was crying silently.

She pulled back to look at him. "Snow? Why are you crying?" The very sight of it was threatening to spill her own tears over the rim of her eyelashes.

"You act like I'm so perfect," Snow said, snuffling and refusing to meet her eyes. "But I'm not. All I did was fight for the girl I loved. But I'm not perfect."

"Maybe not," Serah admitted. "But you've always been perfect for me. And that's all that matters, isn't it?"

"No, it's not," Snow said quietly, pulling away from her. Serah left her arms in the air where they'd been around him, too shocked to put them down.

"What... does that mean, Snow?"

He was silent while he stared at the wall opposite of them, where a large framed picture of the two of them was hanging. Finally, he sighed. "Sometimes I don't feel like you love me. You yell at me or don't want to spend time. And I know it's because you're stressed but... it's hard to deal with."

Serah felt her chest burn with shame. She'd noticed sometimes that she was a bitch to Snow, but with the stress and frustration of being unable to become pregnant, it was hard to control what she said. But that wasn't an excuse.

"Snow, I'm... I'm really sorry," she said sadly. "I've never meant anything I've said. I always want you around. It's just so hard sometimes to deal with things..." She paused and looked at him, but he avoided her eyes. "But I don't take you for granted. I appreciate your love and loyalty every single day of my life."

As she finished talking, Snow's face burned red. "Look, you're going to find out about this from Lightning anyways," he said hastily. "I walked Lebreau home when I was drunk. It looked bad. People saw us leaving together and started talking. But nothing happened!" At this last sentence, he looked up and stared into Serah's eyes pleadingly.

"Why are you saying this right now?" she asked, frowning.

Snow paused, and then shrugged. "It seemed like the right time. You talked about loyalty... I didn't want you to hear something and doubt it. And I was trying to figure out the right way to tell you the whole way home..."

Serah sighed. She hated Lebreau, but she trusted Snow, and that was what mattered. "Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with you helping out a friend. People can think what they want. I know you didn't do anything." She finished this with a small smile, and Snow looked extremely relieved at seeing this.

"I'm so happy to hear you say that," Snow said happily, scooping her up in his arms. "I've seen how rumors can destroy relationships."

"Well, that won't be us," Serah said, giggling. But then her face turned somber. "We have more important problems to worry about..."

Her husband shook his head. "Listen to me. If we can make it through what we did those years ago, we can make it through anything. We made it through two worlds, turning into crystal and c'ieth, and basically the destruction of Cocoon. You think we can't make it through this?"

Serah laughed and planted a long kiss on Snow's lips. He was right, of course. They'd made it through so much, and she was worried about this? Their relationship was stronger than she gave it credit for.

Satisfied, she got down from his arms and, after more kissing, continued to do the dishes and make dinner. Her outlook was so much better. She felt peaceful about their relationship now, and as she looked into the living room at Snow, she was grateful to have him by her side.


End file.
